Maps & Atlases

Maps & Atlases, an indie rock ensemble from the Midwest, fuse rock with pastoral folk, pop, and experimental touches that recall Fleet Foxes, Alt-J, and Minus the Bear. Their path led from initial math-rock foundations through the expansive 2010 debut Perch Patchwork and onward to the pop-focused fourth album Lightlessness Is Nothing New, which surfaced in 2018 after a lengthy hiatus spent on separate artistic pursuits and fresh musical projects.

The group formed in 2004 at Columbia College in Chicago, where Erin Elders on guitar, Shiraz Dada on bass, Chris Hainey on drums, and Dave Davison on guitar and vocals pooled their interests in art, literature, film, and music to shape a quirky, technically driven math-rock style. An unreleased collection titled Bird Barnyard came first, followed by the official debut EP Tree, Swallows, Houses, issued in late 2007 on Sargent House, and the 2008 EP You and Me and the Mountain.

While tracking their first full-length they secured a deal with Barsuk Records; Perch Patchwork arrived in June 2010, containing the tracks “Solid Ground” and “Pigeon.” The next year the band gathered three remixes, a live recording, and the new song “Living Decorations” on the Living Decorations EP. Their third release in three years, the 2012 sophomore album Beware and Be Grateful, featured “Old & Gray” and “Fever.” After touring that record, Erin Elders left to launch Wedding Dress. The remaining members carried on as a trio, staging occasional shows without new material; Davison kept writing solo, Hainey concentrated on photography, and Dada recorded with other acts.

Six years after Beware and Be Grateful, the three returned with Lightlessness Is Nothing New, which debuted a distinctly poppier sound in June 2018 and included the singles “Fall Apart” and “Ringing Bell.”